Music History Today: June 17, 2021

June 17, 2008: Katy Perry's major-label debut album, One of the Boys, was released, featuring the hit single "I Kissed a Girl." 

Novelty or not? That was the question people asked of Katy Perry during her breakthrough. ‘I Kissed A Girl’ is the sort of song that, while almost guaranteed to be a sure-fire smash, might also overshadow an artist who had plenty more to offer. 

Katy Perry

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Her debut album, the eponymous Katy Hudson, had been a frustrating false start, so the decision to launch the renamed Katy Perry with such a provocative track wasn’t without risk. That Katy remains a huge international draw more a decade on from that spring of 2008, however, is largely down to the pop genius that underpinned its parent album, released on 17 June that year. 

Read more: U Discover Music

June 17, 1943: Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York.

Considered by many to be the very embodiment of the soft rock and adult contemporary genres, Barry Manilow is one of the most successful pop artists ever. 

Barry Manilow

Manilow dominated pop music during the latter half of the '70s like few other performers, spinning off a long series of hit singles like "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It," "Mandy," and "Copacabana (At the Copa)," as well as platinum albums, including 1978's number three Billboard 200-charting Even Now, that essentially made the Arista label. 

Read more: Allmusic

 

June 17, 1967: "She'd Rather Be With Me" by The Turtles peaked at Number 3 on the US music chart.

A big, brassy pop song (in contrast to its immediate predecessor, the mellower "Happy Together"), "She'd Rather Be With Me" is probably the least ironically cheerful single the Turtles ever did. 

The Turtles

Written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, the same songwriting team responsible for "Happy Together," "She'd Rather Be With Me" is far removed from the melancholia and delusion at the root of the earlier hit. 

Read more: Allmusic

 

June 17, 1978: Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" hit Number 1 in America.

Andy Gibb was 20, a new father, freshly divorced. His first two singles, “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” and “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” had both hit #1.

Andy Gibb

His much-older brothers in the Bee Gees were right in the middle of their absolutely dominant streak. Less than a year after releasing Flowing Rivers, his debut album, Andy would come out with Shadow Dancing, the follow-up. And for the lead-single title track, he’d gotten together with his brothers, knocking something out quickly. 

Read more: Stereogum

June 17, 1989: "Cry" by Waterfront made it into the US Top 10 when it peaked at Number 10.

Waterfront are the British duo of Phil Cilia and Chris Duffy. They released their debut album, Waterfront, in 1989. The album was successful in the U.K. and U.S. Their hit single from the album, “Cry” hit #17 on the U.K. charts, and went all the way to #10 on June 17, 1989 in the U.S.  

Read more: Return to the 80s

I Kissed a Girl
Katy Perry